IllinoisCoal & Coal MiningHistory & Genealogy

Macon County, Illinois

Featuring Coal Mining

Macon County is a county located in the central part of the state of Illinois.
39.86° N - 88.86° W
In 2000 the population was 114,706, and as of 2010, the population was 110,768
The county seat of Macon County is Decatur, Illinois.

Macon County was formed on January 19, 1829 out of Shelby County, and was named for Nathaniel Macon,
who served as a Colonel in the Revolutionary War.

Western Coal Mining Company drilled for coal
in 1874-75, but abandoned the attempt at 507 feet. The Citizens Association of Decatur organized and
hired J. Edward Bering to make a second attempt, but unfortunately "quicksand" caused this boring to fail
as well. A third bore hole was drilled a short distance from the first hole, north of the Wabash Railroad,
and in January 1876, a minable seam was found 608 feet down. Two or three years later, the Decatur
Coal Company sank a shaft immediately south of the second hole. 1

Coal Mines in Macon County, Illinois

Blue Mound Coal Mine No. 1

The legal description lists this as : Macon County - Township 15 North, Range 1 East, Section 32, NE NW SW
An underground mine at a depth of 467 feet with a coal seam of 3½ to 6½ feet in thickness.

Mine Name

Operated By

Years

Blue Mound Coal Mine No. 1

Blue Mound Coal Company

1904 - 1913

[ Source - No. 1, Index 280 ]

This mine was idle in 1908 & 1909.
Last reported production was in 1913.

1903 Annual Coal Report 7
Prospective Mines.
The Blue Mound Coal company is sinking a shaft at Blue Mound, Macon county, on the Wabash railroad about ten miles southeast of
Decatur.

1904 Annual Coal Report 8
New Mines.
In Macon county the Blue Mound Coal Co., Blue Mound, has completed the sinking of its mine at that place; striking the number five
seam at a depth of 500 feet; the coal is five feet and two inches thick. This mine is equipped with a steel tower, Duncan shaker screen
and cages, and Litchfield engines, 24 x 36 inches. The air and escape shaft, which will be 8 x 13 feet in the clear, is now down about
150 feet.

Decatur Coal Mine No. 1

The legal description lists this as : Macon County - Township 16 North, Range 2 East, Section 14, NW NE NE
An underground mine at a depth of 615 feet with an average coal seam of 4 to 5 feet in thickness.

Mine Name

Operated By

Years

Decatur Coal Mine No. 1

Decatur Coal Company

1879 - 1914

[ Source - No. 1, Index 759 ]

This mine was idle in 1886.
Last reported production was in June 1914.
An explosion of fire damp (methane) injured 3 miners in 1886. Another explosion in
October 1887 injured 2 miners, so gas was a problem to some extent, especially in the early years. Presumably,
better ventilation overcame that threat to the mining. (A 1905 mine fire killed 6 men, but it was the result of a
cigarette starting a fire near the stables, not gas.) In general, mining conditions were good for longwall mining, with
a sturdy shale roof and solid clay floor.

1905 Annual Coal Report 9
Mine Fire.
January 16, 1905, shortly after noon, a fire broke out in mine No. 1 of the Decatur Coal Co.. Decatur, Macon county, which resulted in the
death of six men as follows: August Yagusch, miner aged 51 years; Charles Lachinski, driver, aged 35 years; Emil Knorr, miner aged 17
years; William Fagan, driver, aged 20 years; William Gollan, miner, aged 50 years; Paul Gollan, miner, aged 17 years; and endangering
the lives of seven others, namely, John Dunn, Martin Cullen, Fred Knorr, William Kastner, Thomas Fagan, John Pride and August Rex,
all of whom were cut off from escape by the fire: all of the other men working in the mine at the time, about sixty, escaped safely out of the
workings.
The fire was discovered in the first north entry in the stable used to feed the mules, the stable being located about 2,100 feet from the
bottom of the hoisting shaft. The mule feeder. Mr. Williams, went into that part of the mine about 1:50 o'clock P. M.. and finding the fire
attempted to extinguish it, but failing to do so, gave the alarm; Thomas Clark, mine manager, came to Williams' assistance and realizing
the danger he at once sent runners around the mine to warn the men, and notify them to get out as soon as possible: all of the men
escaped excepting those already named. On the first discovery of the fire, mine manager Clark also sent an alarm to the city fire
department, which responded promptly, but, owing to the location of the fire so far underground, considerable time was consumed in
preparing to get to the fire. A line of hose was connected to the nearest hydrant and carried to the shaft, a distance of seven hundred feet,
and six hundred feet down the shaft, then inside twenty-one hundred feet to the fire, a total distance of thirty-four hundred feet. After
several breaks in the hose, from the pressure due to the depth of the shaft in addition to the pressure from the pumps, the water was
thrown on to the fire, and bringing the flames practically under control about six o'clock P. M. At this time John Dunn, Martin Cullen,
Fred Knorr. William Castner and Thomas Fagen, who were among the missing, came out of the first east entry and reported that the body
of Lachinski was lying a few feet back in the entry, or about 50 feet from the fire; the body was at once secured and removed to the
surface. About three o'clock the next morning John Pride another of the missing men came out at the main east entry and reported that
August Rex was in room No. 43 on the first south entry, off of the first east and that he was still alive; a rescuing party went to the place
indicated and brought Rex out, who was in a very bad condition, but was finally resuscitated and taken to the hospital. It is supposed that
he will fully recover.
The bodies of William Gollan and Emil Knorr were found at the same place where Rex was found. This point is about twenty-seven
hundred feet from the fire; search was then made for the other missing men. and the body of August Yagusch was found on the first east
entry, about nineteen hundred feet from the fire: the bodies of William Fagan and Paul Gollan were not discovered until about 10:00
o'clock a. m. January 17, for the reason that both men had gotten off of the open road and into the third east entry which had been
abandoned: when these bodies were found, they were only about two hundred and fifty feet from where the fire was first located. William
Crankshaw was in the mine at this time and assisted in the recovery of these two bodies.
William Fagan and Charles Lachiniski were drivers and had been sent to warn the men, as they were both familiar with the mine, they
would no doubt have gotten out safely if they had followed the face of the workings, but from the location of their bodies when found, they
evidently had tried to get out on the roads on which they hauled coal, the one on the first north entry and the other on the first east were
both cut off by the fire, as it was located at the intersection of these two entries.
The fire was undoubtedly caused by sparks from a pipe or a partially consumed cigarette. probably the latter, as the drivers were said to
be addicted to the use of cigarettes. The damage to the mine is only trifling, consisting of the burning of the timbers in the stables and six
mules which were suffocated by the smoke.

Since this report was submitted the following account, taken from the "Labor World," published at Decatur, in its issue of Oct. 27, 1905,
gives in detail the settlements made by the company in consequence of the foregoing deaths.
"All of the cases against the Decatur Coal Company, which resulted from the disaster in the mine last winter, Jan. 16, 1905, have been
settled. Five cases were settled for $13,500. The Fagan case was settled through the administrator appointed by the county court a few
days since, $2,500 being paid the family. The father of Fagan was for many years pit boss in the mine and he is now stricken and
helpless and more was given the Fagan family than the other families, where an unmarried man was killed.
Several days ago the case for damages for the death of Emil Knorr was tried. The jury disagreed as to the amount of damages, but it was known
that all were in favor of giving damages.
Wednesday the cases of Bertha Lachiniski. as administratrix of the estate of Charles Lachiniski, came up. The trial was started but
before it was finished a compromise was reached in this, and in all other cases. In each judgment was entered formerly in court and the
jury was instructed to return a verdict which was done in each case. The amounts paid were as follows: For the death of Charles Lachiniski.
$3,000: for the death of William Gollan. $3,000: for the death of Paul Gollan, $3,000; for the death of Emil Knoor, $3,000; for the death of
August Yagusch. $3,000. In the cases where the men were married, $3,000, and the families of the unmarried men were given $2,000.
The costs were also paid by the coal company and this made a total of $13,500, together with the $2,500 paid the Fagan family, $16,000
all told."

Macon County Coal Mine No. 1

The legal description lists this as : Macon County - Township 16 North, Range 2 East, Section 14, SW SW SW
An underground mine at a depth of 544 to 624 feet with a coal seam of 4 to 5 feet in thickness.

Mine Name

Operated By

Years

Manufacturers & Consumers Coal Mine No. 1

Manufacturers & Consumers Coal Company

1903 - 1917

Macon County Coal Mine No. 1

Macon County Coal Company

1917 - 1947

[ Source - No. 1, Index 42 ]

Last reported production was in 1947.

1903 Annual Coal Report 7
New Mines.
After two unsuccessful attempts and the expenditure of a large sum of money, the Manufacturers & Consumers Coal company of
Decatur, has completed the sinking of a shaft, situated on the Illinois Central railroad, about one mile north of the Sangamon river, in
Macon county. The shaft is perfectly straight, 600 feet deep, and well timbered; the coal seam is number five and is four feet thick. The
company is opening the mine, room and pillar, and contemplate putting in mining machines. The fan is in position and the work of
completing the tower, engine house, and boiler room is being pushed as rapidly as possible. The intention of the management is to make
this a model mine.

1904 Annual Coal Report 8
New Mines.
The Manufacturers and Consumers Coal Co. of Decatur, has completed and put in operation a new mine at Decatur, striking the number
five seam at a depth of 544 feet; the seam has an average thickness of four feet eight inches; the company has opened this mine on the
room-and-pillar system, and have put in mining machinery. This is a departure from the system in the other two mines at Decatur, both of
which are working on the long-wall plan. The engines are first motion. The company has also put in shaker screens to handle the output.
The escape shaft is down about 450 feet.

1916 Annual Coal Report 17
Improvements.
The Manufacturers and Consumers Coal Company has built a concrete and brick washhouse equipped with showers and a thermostat
heating system.

Macon County Coal Mine No. 2

The legal description lists this as : Macon County - Township 16 North, Range 2 East, Section 14, SW SW SW
An underground mine at a depth of 544 to 624 feet with a coal seam of 4 to 5 feet in thickness.
The air shaft of Decatur No. 1 Mine (mine index 759) was used for ventilation, and the hoist shaft for that mine
served as an escape shaft for this mine.

Mine Name

Operated By

Years

Decatur Coal Mine No. 1

Decatur Coal Company

1886 - 1925

Macon County Coal Mine No. 2

Macon County Coal Company

1925 - 1926

[ Source - No. 1, Index 123 ]

Last reported production was in 1947.

1908 Annual Coal Report 12
Improvements.
The Decatur Coal Company has placed a new Stevens fan at its Niantic mine. The fan is 10 feet in diameter and 3 feet wide.
This company has also placed a fan of the same make and dimensions at its No. 2 mine, Decatur, which has very much
improved the ventilation of these mines.

The legal description lists this as : Macon County - Township 16 North, Range 1 West, Section 12, SW SW NW
An underground mine at a depth of 365 to 370 feet with an average coal seam of 4½ to 5½ feet in thickness.

Mine Name

Operated By

Years

Niantic Coal Mine

Niantic Coal & Mining Company

1883 - 1986

Niantic Coal Mine

City Coal Company

1886 - 1991

Niantic Coal Mine

Niantic Coal Company

1891 - 1895

Niantic Coal MineDecatur Coal Mine No. 3

Decatur Coal Company

1895 - 1914

Niantic Coal Mine

Niantic Mining Company

1916 - 1917

Niantic Coal Mine

Niantic Carbon Coal Company

1917 - 1922

Niantic Coal Mine

Farmers Coal & Supply Company

1922 - 1923

Niantic Coal Mine

Niantic Carbon Coal Company

1923 - 1924

[ Source - No. 1, Index 141 ]

This mine was idle in 1886
This mine was abandoned 1914, although the mine was later re-opened by another company.
Last reported production was in November 1924.

1907 Annual Coal Report 11
Improvements.
The Decatur Coal Company has ordered a new fan for its mine at Niantic.

1908 Annual Coal Report 12
Improvements.
The Decatur Coal Company has placed a new Stevens fan at its Niantic mine. The fan is 10 feet in diameter and 3 feet wide.
This company has also placed a fan of the same make and dimensions at its No. 2 mine, Decatur, which has very much
improved the ventilation of these mines.

1909 Annual Coal Report 13
Improvements.
The following permanent improvements have been made: The Decatur Coal Company has just put in a regulation stairway in their
escape shaft at Niantic.

BURNS
August 8, 18842, Patrick Burns, a married man, was killed by falling coal, in the Decatur shaft of the Decatur Coal
Company. As the coal fell it knocked out a prop, which struck him in the breast; he lived about half an hour. He left five children,
his wife being dead.

COMI
January 3, 190711, Domineck Comi, of Blue Mound, miner, aged 28 years, single, employed by the Blue Mound
Coal Company at its mine in Blue Mound, Macon county, was fatally injured by falling rock, so that he died from the injuries January
5 in a hospital in Decatur.

CROUCH
February 1, 191818, William Barker, laborer, age 34 years, single, and Walter Crouch, of Blue Mound, laborer,
age 32 years, married, were killed in Peabody Coal Company's No. 21, mine, by an explosion of gas. Crouch leaves a widow and
four children.

DODICK
November 17, 18934, J. Dodick, of Decatur, miner, aged 52 years, married, employed in mine No. 1 of the Decatur Coal
Company, Decatur, Macon county, was fatally injured by a fall of coal from a long-wall face so that he died eight days afterwards. The
deceased was undermining a piece of coal having three clay slips, one parallel to the face, the other two converging. The coal fell from
the slips with the above result. He left a widow and four children

DURKO
March 3, 192219, William Durko, of Decatur, miner, age 65 years, married, died from injuries received February
28 by a fall of coal in Decatur Coal Company's No. 2 mine. He leaves a widow.

FALK
November 19, 192823, Frederick Falk, of Decatur, miner, age 58 years, married, died from injuries received from
a fall of coal October 18 in Macon County Coal Company's mine. He leaves a widow.

FOSTER
January 31, 19016, Charles Foster, aged 50 years, top man, married, employed at the mine of the Assumption Coal &
Mining Company, Assumption, Christian county, was killed by the kick of a horse. A part of his duties was to run the railroad cars to be
loaded, this he did with the aid of a large horse; it appears that he thought the horse was not pulling as much as he should, he picked up
a short board and began striking the animal, when the horse kicked, striking Foster on the right jaw, resulting in his death about 45 minutes
afterwards. He left a widow and four children living at Macon, Macon county,

GOLLAN
January 16, 19059, William Gollan, of Decatur, miner, aged 50 years, leaves a widow and two children.
See : 1905 Decatur Coal Mine Fire

HAMON
October 12, 191216, Lou Hamon, of Blue Mound, driver, aged 28 years, married, employed by the Blue Mound
Coal Co., Blue Mound, Macon County, was killed by pit cars. He leaves a widow and three children.

HASTIE
July 21, 190510, Joseph Hastie, of Decatur, loader, aged 24 years, single, was killed in the mine of the
Manufacturers and Consumers Coal Co., Decatur, Macon county, by falling slate. Suit for damages in this case was brought before
the courts twice, when, at the second trial, the company took it out of court and settled the claim.

HOTWICK -- incorrectly listed as "Mathew HATWICK" in the records
June 9, 192320, Mathew HatwickMathias Hotwick, of Decatur, miner, age 45 years, married, died from injuries received by a fall of
slate on May 24, in Macon County Coal Company's mine. He leaves a widow and four children.

Mathias Hotwick
Born on March 12, 1878 in Germany
Employed as a coal miner at the Macon County Coal Company's mine.
Member of St Patrick's Catholic Church and the United Mine Workers of America.
A fall of slate in the coal mine broke his back and he was taken to the hospital.
Died on June 9, 1923 in Decatur, Macon County, Illinois
Burial was in Calvary Cemetery, Pana, Christian County, Illinois

KAMINSKI
September 17, 190712, John Kaminski, of Decatur, miner, aged 51 years, married, was killed by falling slate at the
face of his room in the Manufacturers & Consumers mine, Decatur, Macon county. He leaves a widow and three children.

KORSHINISNAKI / KOSHINSKI
January 7, 1892, August Korshnisnaki [Koshinski], was killed in the mine of the Decatur Coal Mining company.
He is buried in Greenwood Cemetery, Decatur, Macon County, Illinois.

Death in the Shaft
A Young Married Man Has His Neck Broken at the Coal Mine

There was a singular fatality at the old shaft of the Decatur Coal Mining company at an early hour this morning. The victim was
August Korshnisnaki [Koshinski], a native of Poland, aged about 25 years, who has a wife and two children residing on East
Prairie street. August was found at the bottom of the shaft at five o'clock this morning by James McKinley, who always goes
into the mines early to feed the mules used in pulling the coal cars. He had done his work at the new shaft, and then went through
the air or safety passage to the old mine, finding August dead at the bottom of the shaft, his neck broken and one shoulder dislocated.
It appears that August had run a carload of coal to the shaft, and that it had run off the rails, catching or throwing the young miner
half way into the shaft. There were two Frenchmen with August at the time, but they disappeared soon after the fatality. The cage
of the shaft is caught about 30 feet above the bottom, and could not be moved by man or steam power. It was therefore necessary
to remove the body of August from the mine through the new shaft, and this was done under the direction of Coroner Bendure, the
body being taken to the Perl & Brintlinger undertaking rooms, where the inquest was held this afternoon.
Only one witness was examined this afternoon at the inquest. James McKinley, the stable boss, found the body lying on the west
side of the bottom of the shaft, with part of a loaded coal car hanging over the edge of the sump. The cage was 30 feet above fastened
in the shaft and had not been got in shape for use up to 1 p. m. The body of the deceased was first found in the bottom of the sump. It
had been lifted out before McKinley arrived. Deceased was a car driver and helper. His place was behind the car, not in front of it.
The inquest will be concluded this evening at 7 o'clock.
It appears that the driver ran the car into the sump and was possibly jerked into the sump and killed by the sudden drop of the forward
part of the loaded car.

From Friday's Daily

Last evening at the Perl & Brintlinger undertaking rooms, Coroner Bendure concluded the inquest on the body of August
Koshimski [Koshinski], who was found dead at the bottom of the shaft in the old coal mine yesterday morning. The verdict was as
follows:

"We, the jury, find that deceased came to his death by an accidental fall at the bottom of the old coal shaft of the Decatur Coal Co.,
at some time between the hours of 3 and 4:30 o'clock on the morning of January 7, 1892, by which the neck of the deceased was
dislocated. The jury further finds that from the evidence heard, no blame whatever can be attached to the Coal Co. for the fatality."
The verdict was signed by A. T. Grist, B. N. Adams, H. Boone, John Rossemeyer, Wm. Conel and J. J. H. Young.

The witnesses who testified before the jury were James McKinley, the stable boss, Jules Lefevre, Randolph Kressen, Louis Lidwitz
and Mark Moran, former superintendent of the mine. None of the witnesses were with the deceased at the time of the accident, and
there was no witness of the fatality. Lefevre and his partner were the first to find August dead. Mr. Lefevre testified that he found August
lying at the edge of the shaft, between a coal car and the guide, his head hanging over in the sump and his feet and legs up. The cage
he said was caught 28 feet above the bottom. Some coal had fallen out of the car, the forward wheels of which had gone off the rails
and dropped partly into the sump. He could not tell how the accident occurred. He moved the body, which at that time was warm and
limber. Kressen and Louis Lidwitz worked at the top of the shaft. They take coal cars off the cage and unload them, returning the
empties to be sent below. Lidwitz testified that he heard the bell signal from below to hoist away and the signal was given to the
engineer. Then the cage caught in the shaft. Neither witness knew anything about the matter in which August met his death. Mark
Moran testified as to the operation of the machinery, and said:

"My theory of this accident is that the deceased ran his car on the cage and rang the cage away before he had put up the guard. The
cage starting up, the car ran back and off on the track, striking the man and causing his death. The men at the top say that he rang
the bell. If he did that he might have thought that he was all right. The guard was broken at the end where the car would have tilted
back. The guard was broken off about a foot from the end of the cage. Have seen the cage since it has been put in working order.
There was no car of coal on the cage. The weight of the coal car as it slipped off the cage caused the cage to slip out of the guides
and get caught in the shaft."

Deceased leaves a widow and one child.

KRUCK
September 19, 18893, Agust Kruck, of Decatur, driver, a single man, aged 16 years, was killed at the No. 1
colliery of the Decatur Coal Co. Kruck was killed at the bottom of the shaft. It was supposed his lamp was out when he came to the bottom
of the shaft with his trip; he brought out five boxes, ten others were standing on the side track, and in trying to loosen the tail-chain of the
mule, his head was caught between the cars.

LEONARD
September 21, 191115, William G. Leonard, miner, aged 47 years, married, employed by Manufacturers' and
Consumers' Coal Company, Decatur, Macon County, was killed by a fall of rock. He had mined under the coal for about three feet to a
horse-back running through the coal, when the rock fell, killing him instantly. He leaves a widow and three children.

LUTHER
February 17,193425, Fred Luther, of Decatur, motorman, age 51 years, married, was killed by pit cars, in Macon
County Coal Company's mine. He leaves a widow and one child.

NASH
December 3, 191014, John Nash, miner, aged 45 years, single; was killed by falling coal, crushing against prop in
the Decatur Coal Company mine, at Decatur, Macon county.

PITTS
November 5, 193124, Gustavus A. Pitts, of Decatur, carpenter, age 69 years, married, fell off a ladder at Macon
County Coal Company's mine and was killed. He leaves a widow.

PRELL
November 28, 194026, Frank Prell, of Decatur, jerryman, age 56 years, married, crushed by cage, in the No. 1
mine of the Macon County Coal Co., leaving a widow.

PULSO
November 25, 191115, Philip Pulso, of Decatur, miner, aged 35 years, married, employed by Manufacturers'
& Consumers' Coal Company, Decatur, Macon County, died at his home. The company knew nothing of this accident, nor do they
believe the man was injured in the mine. Since his death his relatives claim he was injured on the afternoon of November 21, in his
working place by falling slate. He said nothing about being injured and continued to work the remainder of that day and the following day.
The face boss said he never complained to him of being hurt. He leaves a widow.

SABLATREY
February 4, 18995, Charles Sablatrey, of Decatur, miner, aged 57 years, was killed by a fall of coal in the No. 2
mine of the Decatur Coal company, Decatur. He was a Polander by birth and left a widow and five children.

SANTOWSKI
August 7, 190813, Henry Santowski, aged 20, miner, single, residence Decatur, employed in the M. and C. mine,
was killed by coal falling on him at the face of his room. He was injured August 7th, and died August 12th.

WHITE
September 24, 193124, James Ernest White, of Decatur, driver, age 28 years, married, died from injuries received
September 15 in the Macon County Coal Company's mine. Deceased was bringing a trip of cars to the parting and in some way unknown
was thrown under the trip. He leaves a widow.